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This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy

Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications.

Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308

Investigations into Performance 

and Lifetime Enhancements of 

OPV Devices

Cooperative Research and 

Development Final Report

CRADA Number: CRD-08-263

NREL Technical Contact: David Ginley

CRADA Report

NREL/TP-5F00-62174

June 2014
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Cover Photos: (left to right) photo by Pat Corkery, NREL 16416, photo from SunEdison, NREL 17423, photo by Pat Corkery, NREL 

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This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications.

Cooperative Research and Development Final Report

In accordance with Requirements set forth in Article XI.A(3) of the CRADA document, this document is 

the final CRADA report, including a list of Subject Inventions, to be forwarded to the Office of Science 

and Technical Information as part of the commitment to the public to demonstrate results of federally 

funded research.

CRADA Number: CRD-08-263

CRADA Title: Investigations into Performance and Lifetime Enhancements of OPV Devices

Parties to the Agreement: Plextronics, Inc.

Joint Work Statement Funding Table Showing DOE Commitment: 

Estimated Costs NREL Shared Resources

Year 1 $ 100,000.00

Year 2 $ 150,000.00

TOTALS $ 250,000.00

Abstract of CRADA Work: 

As a part of this joint work, Plextronics and NREL will investigate several issues to accelerate the 

performance of organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, especially as it pertains to lifetime and stability. 

Study of degradation mechanisms of OPV devices will allow researchers to tune materials, formulations, 

and device fabrication methods to improve overall performance. Simultaneous work on Transparent 

Conducting Oxides (TCOs) and other materials will be carried out along with joint investigation of the 

application of Plexcore materials in OPV devices and modules.

As a part of this joint work, Plextronics and NREL will investigate several issues to accelerate the 

performance and commercial viability of OPV materials and devices. These studies will include 

computational analysis and potential synthesis of various target materials from Plextronics intellectual 

property portfolio, lifetime and stability of OPV devices, studies TCOs—which are alternatives to indium 

tin oxide (ITO)— and investigations of interface phenomena leading to degradation in OPV devices. 

To evaluate Plextronics additive in battery applications, Plextronics will provide to NREL a starting 

point, including materials and cursory data for proof of concept. The initial phase will include fabrication 

and testing with LiCoO2 based coin cells with and without Plextronics’ additive.

To evaluate Plextronics new additives and derivatives in lithium-ion battery applications, Plextronics will 

provide to NREL a starting point, including materials and initial data for proof of concept. The central 

focus of this project is to ascertain the nature of the efficacy of the Plextronics additives through physical 

and electrical characterization, including evaluations of new derivatives, system evaluations on batteries 

made with Plexcore, and to study long-term cycling performance differences. The initial focus is to 

establish Plexcore mode of action to support the commercialization of the first commercial evaluations of 

Plexcore in September 2013.
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This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications.

Summary of Research Results: 

Half of the project focused on testing OPV devices and the other half of the project evaluated battery 

additives for lithium batteries. NREL’s role was predominantly to characterize materials and their 

integration into devices.

Subject Inventions Listing: None

Report Date: February 28, 2014

Responsible Technical Contact at Alliance/NREL: David Ginley

This document contains NO confidential, protectable, or proprietary information.